Babies' deaths trigger voluntary crib recall

Published: Saturday, September 22, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) - About 1 million Simplicity and Graco cribs have been recalled after three children became entrapped and suffocated.

The recall was announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Friday, more than two years after a California lawyer says he alerted the federal agency about a 9-month-old who died in a faulty crib.

"Two years and two deaths is not fast enough. It's inexcusable that it took that long," said Charles Kelly, who represents the parents of the 9-month-old. Liam Johns of Citrus Heights, Calif., died in April 2005.

In addition to the Johns baby, 6-month-old Edward Millwood died in November 2006 while in one of the Simplicity cribs. His parents filed suit against the manufacturer on Sept. 4.

A 1-year-old child died in a newer model of the cribs, which has not been recalled but is being investigated by the safety agency, commission officials said.

In all three deaths, consumers had installed the drop-rail side of the crib upside down, the agency said.

Simplicity Inc., of Reading, Pa., manufactured all the cribs, which were made in China. The recalled cribs were sold under the Simplicity or Graco brands, from January 1998 through May 2007. The recall involves multiple models and model numbers.